TN-07-AL-4777 Music Review

January 5, 2009

Produced by Mahadevan Ganesh and Usha Venkatramani. Directed by A.Lakshmikanthan and starring Pasupathi (who does Nana Patekar’s role), Azmal Ameer (who does John Abraham’s role) in an apparent remake of the hindi movie Taxi no.9211. Other stars are Simran and Meenakshi. The music composer for this film is Vijay Antony. What new stuff is he unleashing on us this time? Let us check.

Well, well, let us hope Avvaiyar does not turn in her grave on hearing this ‘rap koothu’ according to Vijay’s own words! What we have here is a string of old ‘athichudi’ lines starting from ‘aram seyya virumbu’. And of course some dialogues strewn in between. All packed into hefty and cacophonic native rhythms! Youth is the only target and Vijay Antony has successfully hit the right notes for them. What is its role on screen? Let’s wait and see.

Kanneerai pole…
Vocals: V.Prasanna.
Lyrics: Na.Muthukumar.

Sabhash, Muthukumar, for the soft yet thoughtful lyrics, which have been sensitively set to music by Vijay. The opening bars gently roll ‘sa da pa da; sa pa ma pa ;sa ma ga ma – – The flute, violin, guitar and keys all combine to essay sober notes well in keeping with the mood of the song itself, sung with feeling by Prasanna. ‘Gaanal neer’, shouldn’t it be ‘Kaanal neer’.

Sorgam Madhuvile…
Vocals: Sakthishree, Rahul Nambiar.
Lyrics: Priyan.

Some rapping at the start and the song itself has a light hip-hop touch about it. Sings about living for the day. Nothing new about the piece, but we have some interesting sound mixing that catches your fancy. Thankfully not loud.

A lyric with some techno-savvy imagery from Muthukumar! A love duet, but nothing offensive about the words. The song feels more like a Punjabi folk number sung to slow rhythm. Small but chirpy inputs from violins, guitar and drums. Ranjith executes the sangatis more smoothly than the lady singer.

Theme Song…
Vocals: Maya.
Lyrics: Priyan.

A small ‘songlet’ which urges us to ‘break rules’ and freak out. All keyboard stuff with an ominous ‘screech’ sound at the end.

Aathichudi…Mini Version

A concise version of song no.1, minus the dialogues and with added drums.

Verdict:

If the movie is about taxi drivers, then it is better that the music stays earthy, is what Vijay Antony seems to have decided, going by what he has presented in this album. Melody? Certainly, sir, next time!

We are living in a time of stress and struggle. There is still hunger, hatred, and sickness in a world that is also filled with such beauty, generosity, and harmony. ASCAP award-winning composer Wendy Loomis and Eastman School of Music alumna Monica Williams decided to create a CD that had the power to help people relax, de-stress, and energize with positive vibrations of gratitude for this life. While Wendy was in the middle of a yoga class, she had a vision of the CD being organized around the 7 chakras. For those of you unfamiliar, the 7 chakras are energy centers that run up the human body from the base of the spine, to the sexual center, the stomach, the heart, the throat, the 3rd eye between the eyebrows, and the crown of the head. Many people have developed systems that associate colors and tones with each chakra. Monica and Wendy decided not to be quite so literal in their interpretation, but rather incorporate the idea of energy rising from our most earthly, primal instincts up toward our higher, nobler, spiritual realm – the eternal quest to ascend toward the Higher Power. And ASCENSION was born.

7 is a lucky and inspiring number that is threaded through ASCENSION: there are 7 tones in a scale, the compositions are in 7 different key signatures, the music is played on 7 primary instruments, Monica was born in ’77, and this is the 7th CD of Wendy’s music.

With the exception of ‘Seed’ and ‘Nourishment’ which were improvisations, the themes for this CD were composed by Wendy Loomis. Monica and Wendy arranged the flute and piano sounds in a weave with instruments from around the world played by a group of very talented women: Jennifer Lim on guzheng (China); Debra Podjed on tabla (India) and goat hooves (Bolivia); Jessica Styler on hang drum (Switzerland); Suellen Primost on cello (Italy); Irina Mikhailova on voice (born in Russia); and Karen Segal on guitar (Spain/the Middle East).